The total value of honey produced in Canada fell from $210.5 million in 2015 to $157.8 million in 2016, a decrease of 25.0%.

The decline in value was attributable to the lower prices received at farmgate. Alberta, the largest honey producing province, saw honey value decline 32.8%. In Manitoba, the value was down 35.2%.

Production reached 92.2 million pounds in 2016, compared with 92.0 million pounds in 2015. The number of colonies increased 3.3% from 2015 to 750,155. On average, each colony had a yield of 123 pounds of honey, 4 pounds less than in 2015.

Canadian beekeepers produced 95.3 million pounds of honey in 2015, up 11.4% from 2014. There were 8,533 beekeepers in 2015, 365 less than in 2014.

Chart 1
Production of honey

The total value of honey rose 10.9% from 2014 to $232.0 million as a result of increased production. The average price of honey was stable at $2.43 per pound.

On average, each colony had a yield of 132 pounds of honey, 9 pounds more than in 2014.

The number of colonies rose 3.6% from 696,252 to 721,106. This increase was attributable to favourable weather conditions that reduced winter losses, particularly in the Prairie provinces.

Honey production in Alberta, the top producer in Canada, was 42.8 million pounds, up 20.4% from 35.5 million pounds in 2014. Yields rose from 125 pounds per colony to 145 pounds.

In Saskatchewan, honey production increased from 16.5 million pounds in 2014 to 18.8 million pounds in 2015, as a result of more colonies and higher yields.

In Manitoba, although yields were lower, production rose from 14.1 million pounds in 2014 to 16.0 million pounds. This increase was attributable to more honey-producing colonies in the province in 2015.